Method of manufacturing chair-seats.



E. P. WAN NER. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING-CHAIR SEATS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1909.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIc EDWIN P. WANNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CRATE-SEATS.

Application filed February 4, 1909.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN P. l/VANNER, acitizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan,city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Method of Manufacturing Chair-Seats; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of chair seats and it consistsin an improved method of manufacturing such seats whereby the expenseincident to the production of chairseats in large quantities is verymaterially reduced and a seat produced which is durable in construction,substantially proof against warping and capable of being rejuvenatedupon wear or damage with respect to the seat-proper thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional view takentransversely through a piece of wood which has been formed into a ringor other continuous structure; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing thestructure of Fig. 1 after it has been sawed in a plane parallel with itstop surface, the separated parts appearing slightly spaced; Fig. 3 showsthe completed chair seat, likewise in transverse section, and as havinga seat-proper of the cane variety; and, Fig. at is a view like Fig. 3but showing a seat-proper of the so-called slip-seat variety.

In carrying out my invention a continuous structure a is first formed,by bending a suitable length of wood into endless shape and securing theends thereof together in any manner customary in the manufacture of bentwood furniture.

The piece of wood from which the structure a is formed has onetransverse dimension, greater than the other, and when the bending isperformed, it is that dimension which is parallel to the axis ofbending, the purpose of which will appear later. Having formed thestructure a, it is divided horizontally, by sawing, in a plane nearerits top surface 0 than its bot-tom surface cl, preferably acircumferential flange 6, adjoining the top surface of the frame and ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 476,043.

rounded form, is left when the frame is complete, such flange beingformed on the wood piece from which the structure is made before orafter bending the same, and itis through the lower portion of thisflange where the sawing operation is performed, the object being toconceal the joint which is produced when, as hereinafter stated, theupper member (or its replica) is secured upon the lower member. Theupper member e is now provided with a seat proper j, the lateralportions of the caning being passed through the holes 71, which arebored in the member 6 after the members 6 and f are formed. In themember f is formed a continuous groove 72. into which the portions ofthe caning 7' may extend when the two members 6 and f are assembled, theobject of forming the groove in member f instead of member 6 being toavoid. the weakening of member 6 which would result if the groove wereformed in that member. Or the member 6 may be provided with a slip seatZ, which may be seated in the rabbet Ir- In order to secure the members6 and f together, preferably before the structure a is sawed to producesaid members, holes m are drilled into the structure a from the underside and far enough to extend past the plane of sawing. When thestructure is then sawed, it is only necessary to bring the holes in thetwo members 6 and f in alinement with each other to insure the membersregistering perfectly before binding them together by means of thescrews 9 inserted into said holes.

The object in forming the piece of wood from which the structure a isproduced with one transverse dimension greater than the other andthereupon bending the piece of wood in such manner that its greatertransverse dimension is parallel with the axis of bending is thefollowing: For the purpose of imparting the necessary rigidity to thechair of which the structure or forms a part and in order that, in pointof proportion, said structure a may harmonize with the other parts ofthe chair, said structure has a cross-section in which, as is usual, itsvertical dimension approximates its horizontal dimension. The members 6and f which are formed as the result of dividing the structure 0!,therefore each have considerably less vertical dimension than horizontaldimension, which fact has to be taken into account in the initialformation of member a, lest the members warp and becomedistorted-conditions which may not arise until some time after the chairhas been sold and gone into use. The warping and distorting, if likelyto occur (depending upon the condition and nature of the wood at thetime of bending), would of course manifest themselves to some extentthough the structure be not divided; but when it is divided, asdescribed, it results to an increased extent in the relatively thinnermembers'e and f and can only be counteracted by the application of aconsiderable number of screws or other securing devices serving to bindthem together. By forming the structure a with its vertical dimensiongreater in the crosssection of the structure than its horizontaldimension, this warping and distorting is far less likely tooccurapparently because the fibers of the wood which are remote from theaxis of bending are compelled to be more perfectly stretched, whilethose near said axis are compelled to be more perfectly compressed, whenthe bending is performed than in the case where the vertical dimensionis the less, in which instance before the stretching or compression ofthe fibers can be fully effectual to overcome their resistance theretothe material tendsto give way laterally in such manner that across-section thereof instead of remaining, for instance, a rectanglewould be either Q or U. In view of such tendency, as soon as thematerial is then divided as herein stated, the resulting parts,

each thinner than the whole, yield more or less to such tendency,according to the extent of their thinness, although the original orundivided piece might not actually yield to such tendency.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is The method of manufacturing chair seatswhich consists in first forming a suitable length of wood havingasubstantially rectangular cross-section with one transverse dimensionthereof greater than the other, bending the said length of wood, withits greater transverse dimension parallel to the axis of bending, intothe form of a continuous structure and securing the ends of saidstructure together, and finally severing the frame crosswise of the axisof bending and near one plane surface of said structure, whereby toproduce a thick continuous member adapted to form a permanent part of achair and a relatively thin continuous member adapted for the attachmentthereto of the seat-proper and to be attached to said thick continuousmember or a replica thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand thisfirst day of February, 1909.

EDWIN P. ANNER.

Vitnesses J 01 m STEWARD, 7M. H. KUNTZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

